The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Fisupnic Hotpink’.
‘Fisupnic Hotpink’ is a product of a planned breeding program and originated from a hybridization made by the inventor, Birgit C. Hofmann, in a controlled breeding program in Hillscheid, Germany, in 1999.
The female parent was an unpatented proprietary seedling, designated no. 98-4128-1, which is characterized by very large, purple flowers, dark green foliage, and small to medium sized plant habit.
The male parent of ‘Fisupnic Hotpink’ was ‘Fisupnic Lav’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,224), having light violet flower color, dark green foliage, and vigorous growth habit.
‘Fisupnic Hotpink’ was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by the inventor in April 2000 in a greenhouse in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain.
The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Fisupnic Hotpink’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in July 2000 in a controlled environment in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain, by, or under the supervision of the inventor.
Horticultural examination of plants grown from these cuttings initiated in the spring of 2001 in Hillscheid, Germany, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘Fisupnic Hotpink’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true to type.
‘Fisupnic Hotpink’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length, without, however, any variation in genotype. The following observations, measurements, and comparisons describe plants grown in Hillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany, under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial practice.